US Politics

Choices for Deficit Reduction: An Update

Federal debt is projected to rise significantly over the long term. What policy changes could reduce future deficits and thus lower the trajectory of federal debt? What criteria might be used to evaluate those policy changes?
In coming decades, the aging of the population, rising health care costs, and the expansion of federal subsidies for health insurance will put increasing pressure on the federal budget.

Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2014 to 2024

The federal budget deficit will shrink to $514 billion in 2014, or 3 percent of GDP, CBO projects. Under current law, it will continue to decline next year as the economy continues to improve, but beginning in 2016, deficits will rise, further boosting the already large federal debt.

CBO expects economic growth to be solid in the near term, but unemployment to remain elevated, finally dropping below 6.0 percent in 2017.

Macroeconomic Effects of Alternative Budgetary Paths

Federal debt held by the public now exceeds 70 percent of the nation's annual output (gross domestic product, or GDP) and stands at a higher percentage than in any year since 1950. Under an assumption whereby current laws generally remain unchanged, federal debt will be 77 percent of GDP in 2023, CBO projects.

The Effects of a Minimum-Wage Increase on Employment and Family Income

Increasing the minimum wage would have two principal effects on low-wage workers. Most of them would receive higher pay that would increase their family’s income, and some of those families would see their income rise above the poverty threshold. But some jobs for low-wage workers would probably be eliminated ...

The 2013 Long-Term Projections for Social Security: Additional Information

Spending on the Social Security program will exceed its dedicated tax revenues, on average, by about 12 percent over the next decade, CBO projects. The gap will grow larger in the 2020s and will exceed 30 percent of revenues by 2030.

Federal Grants to State and Local Governments

In fiscal year 2011, the federal government provided $607 billion in grants to state and local governments. Those funds accounted for 17 percent of federal outlays, 4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and a quarter of spending by state and local governments that year.

Effective Marginal Tax Rates for Low- and Moderate-Income Workers

Effective marginal tax rates among low- and moderate-income workers are about 30 percent, on average, with about one-third of that rate stemming from the federal income tax, more than a third from federal payroll taxes, and the remainder from state income taxes and the phaseout of SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps

About Voting

Voting is the essence of democracy.Voting in the United States is voluntary. Some people vote in person at the polls, while others vote by mail days or weeks before the actual election date. It's important that all U.S. citizens who qualify to vote participate in the democratic process of electing public officials. Locate your local registrar office

Register To Vote

Most U.S. states require voters to register before an election. Ten states presently offer same-day registration (SDR), allowing any qualified resident of the state to go to the polls on election day, register that day, and then vote.

When you register to vote,your voter registrations are linked to your residential address.When registered voters move, they are supposed to update their registration records with election officials before voting

Under federal law, if you move within 30 days of a presidential election, you are allowed to vote for President and Vice President in your former state of residence, either in person or by absentee ballot.

Early Voting

In 33 states and the District of Columbia, any qualified voter may cast a ballot in person during a designated period prior to Election Day. No excuse or justification is required.

Absentee Voting

All states will mail an absentee ballot to certain voters. The voter may return the ballot by mail or in person. In 20 states, an excuse is required, while 27 states and the District of Columbia permit any qualified voter to vote absentee without offering an excuse. Some states offer a permanent absentee ballot list: once a voter asks to be added to the list, s/he will automatically receive an absentee ballot for all future elections.

Mail Voting

Two states -- Oregon and Washington -- conduct all elections by mail. A ballot is automatically mailed to every registered voter in advance of Election Day, and traditional in-person voting precincts are not available. Learn more about Oregon's vote-by-mail program

Voter identification (ID) requirements

There are several situations when voters need to show identification before voting. Usually, ID is required to prove the voter's identity and residency at the address of the registration.
A total of thirty-four states have passed voter ID laws. These are not all in force at this point, either because the implementation date is in the future or because of court challenges.

States that Require ID (Photo ID, Non Photo ID)

Alabama

Alaska

Arkansas

Arizona

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Michigan

Missouri

Montana

New Hampshire

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Washington,

Voter ID Law Not yet in effect in : Pennsylvania,Wisconsin,North Carolina,Mississippi.

Note:

A state judge temporarily blocked enforcement of Pennsylvania's new voter ID law.

New voter ID law has not yet been implemented;state presently has no voter ID law in effect. North Carolina's goes into effect in 2016

Mississippi's new voter ID law was passed via the citizen initiative process. It will be used for the first time in 2014.

Wisconsin's voter ID law was declared unconstitutional on March 12, 2012. Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess issued a permanent injunction barring enforcement of the law, which the state has said it will appeal.

The new strict photo ID law in Arkansas will take effect on January 1, 2014, or when the funding to the Secretary of State for the issuance of free IDs for voting purposes has been appropriated and is available.

Federal Employees

The Office Of Personnel Management (OPM) has advised Federal agencies that where the polls are not open at least 3 hours either before or after an employee's regular work hours, an agency may grant a limited amount of excused absence to permit the employee to report for work 3 hours after the polls open or leave from work 3 hours before the polls close, whichever requires the lesser amount of time off. An employee’s “regular work hours” should be determined by reference to the time of day the employee normally arrives at and departs from work.

For example, if an employee is scheduled to work from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the employee's polling place is open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., the employee should not be granted excused absence for voting, since the employee would still have at least 3 hours after the end of his or her workday to vote. However, if an employee is scheduled to work from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the employee's polling place is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the employee may be granted 1/2 hour of excused absence from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., if requested.

Private-Sector Employees

Time Off To Vote Laws vary by state.Many states have laws that require private employers to give employees time off to vote. The laws vary among states, and time-off for voting may only be required under certain circumstances. In addition, state law may require that the employee must be paid for this time.

Committees are panels of Members of the House and/or Senate tasked with conducting hearings, examining and developing legislation, conducting oversight, and/or helping to manage chamber business and activities.

The current salary for all senators and members is $174,000. The salary for the speaker is $223,500 and the salary for the majority and minority leaders is $193,400.

Members of Congress are covered by the same retirement plans as other federal employees, the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) for those hired, or elected, before 1984, and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) for those whose service began in 1984 or later. There are some differences in retirement age eligibility, years of service required, and contributions. Members elected after 1984 also participate in Social Security.

As of October 1, 2007, the average annual pension for former members under the CSRS plan was $63,696; for those under the FERS plan, $36,732.

The Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and such number of Associate Justices as may be fixed by Congress. The number of Associate Justices is currently fixed at eight (28 U. S. C. §1).
Supreme Court justices, court of appeals judges, and district court judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate, as stated in the Constitution. The names of potential nominees are often recommended by senators or sometimes by members of the House who are of the President's political party. The Senate Judiciary Committee typically conducts confirmation hearings for each nominee. Article III of the Constitution states that these judicial officers are appointed for a life term.

There have been as few as six Supreme Court Justices, but since 1869 there have been nine Justices, including one Chief Justice.Federal courts enjoy the sole power to interpret the law, determine the constitutionality of the law, and apply it to individual cases.

Court Officers assist the Court in the performance of its functions. They include the Counselor to the Chief Justice, the Clerk, the Librarian, the Marshal, the Reporter of Decisions, the Court Counsel, the Curator, the Director of Information Technology, and the Public Information Officer. The Counselor is appointed by the Chief Justice. The Clerk, Reporter of Decisions, Librarian, and Marshal are appointed by the Court. All other Court Officers are appointed by the Chief Justice in consultation with the Court.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts(MD)(Born in 1955)

Appointed by: President G. W. Bush - Republicain in 2005

Political View: Chief Justice Roberts has been described as having a conservative
judicial philosophy in his jurisprudence

Education: Harvard College-- Harvard University

Associate Justice Antonin Scalia (VA)(Born in 1936)

Appointed by: President Reagan -Republicain in 1986

Political View: Scalia has staked out a conservative ideology in his opinions,
advocating textualism in statutory interpretation and
originalism in constitutional interpretation.

Education: Georgetown University -- University of Fribourg -- Harvard Law School

Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy (CA)(Born in 1936)

Appointed by: Republicain - Reagan in 1988

Political View: Kennedy has often been the swing vote on many of the Court's 5-4 decisions

Education: Stanford University -- London School of Economics -- Harvard Law School

Associate Justice Clarence Thomas (GA)(Born in 1948)

Appointed by: President G. H. Bush -Republicain in 1991

Political View: Thomas is generally viewed as the most conservative member of the Court

Education: Conception Seminary College -- College of the Holy Cross -- Yale Law School

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (NY)(Born in 1933)

Appointed by: President B. Clinton -Democrat in 1993

Political View: Ginsburg is generally viewed as belonging to the liberal wing of the Court

Education: Cornell University -- Harvard University -- Columbia University

Associate Justice Stephen Breyer(MA)(Born in 1938)

Appointed by: President B. Clinton -Democrat in 1994

Political View: Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court

Federal judges can only be removed through impeachment by the House of Representatives and conviction in the Senate. Judges and justices serve no fixed term — they serve until their death, retirement, or conviction by the Senate.

The Constitution states that Justices "shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour." This means that the Justices hold office as long as they choose and can only be removed from office by impeachment.

The only Justice to be impeached was Associate Justice Samuel Chase in 1805. The House of Representatives passed Articles of Impeachment against him; however, he was acquitted by the Senate.

How many courts of appeals are there?

There are 13 judicial circuits, each with a court of appeals. The smallest court is the First Circuit with six judgeships, and the largest court is the Ninth Circuit, with 29 judgeships. A list of the states that compose each circuit is set forth in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 41. The number of judgeships in each circuit is set forth in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 44

How many district courts are there?

There are 89 districts in the 50 states, which are listed with their divisions in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Sections 81-144. District courts also exist in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. In total there are 94 U.S. district courts. Some states, such as Alaska, are composed of a single judicial district. Others, such as California, are composed of multiple judicial districts. The number of judgeships allotted to each district is set forth in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 133.

Credits & Deductions

There are a variety of credits and deductions for individual and business taxpayers.
The Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Credit help millions of families every year. There are also a number of credits for small and large businesses. You may have taken deductions when you prepared your annual tax return.
In addition to the standard deduction for individuals, common deductions include home mortgage interest,
state and local tax, and charitable contributions. Many business expenses are deductible as well.

The American political system is clearly defined by basic documents. The Declaration of Independence of 1776 and the Constitution of 1789 form the foundations of the United States federal government.

The United States Constitution is the shortest written constitution in the world with just seven articles and 27 amendments.The first ten amendments were all carried in 1789 - the same year as the original constitution - and are collectively known as the Bill of Rights. If one accepts that these first 10 amendments were in effect part of the original constitutional settlement, there have only been 17 amendments in over 200 years (the last substantive one - reduction of the voting age to 18 - in 1971)

The President is both the head of state and the head of government, as well as the military commander-in-chief and chief diplomat. He presides over the executive branch of the federal government, a vast organisation numbering about 4 million people, including 1 million active-duty military personnel. Within the executive branch, the President has broad constitutional powers to manage national affairs and the workings of the federal government and he may issue executive orders to affect internal policies.

The Cabinet and independent federal agencies are responsible for the day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws. These departments and agencies have missions and responsibilities as widely divergent as those of the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Established by Article I of the Constitution, the Legislative Branch consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, which together form the United States Congress. The Constitution grants Congress the sole authority to enact legislation and declare war, the right to confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, and substantial investigative powers.

The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. In addition, there are 6 non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other territories of the United States. The presiding officer of the chamber is the Speaker of the House, elected by the Representatives. He or she is third in the line of succession to the Presidency.

Where the Executive and Legislative branches are elected by the people, members of the Judicial Branch are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Federal courts enjoy the sole power to interpret the law, determine the constitutionality of the law, and apply it to individual cases.

Article III of the Constitution, which establishes the Judicial Branch, leaves Congress significant discretion to determine the shape and structure of the federal judiciary. Even the number of Supreme Court Justices is left to Congress (the current number is nine, with one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices).

Each state has its own written constitution, and these documents are often far more elaborate than their federal counterpart.

Under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, all powers not granted to the federal government are reserved for the states and the people. All state governments are modeled after the federal government and consist of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

In every state, the executive branch is headed by a governor who is directly elected by the people. In most states, the other leaders in the executive branch are also directly elected, including the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and auditors and commissioners.

Local governments generally include two tiers: counties, also known as boroughs in Alaska and parishes in Louisiana, and municipalities, or cities/towns. In some states, counties are divided into townships. Municipalities can be structured in many ways, as defined by state constitutions, and are called, variously, townships, villages, boroughs, cities, or towns. Various kinds of districts also provide functions in local government outside county or municipal boundaries, such as school districts or fire protection districts.

All 50 states have legislatures made up of elected representatives, who consider matters brought forth by the governor or introduced by its members to create legislation that becomes law. The legislature also approves a state's budget and initiates tax legislation and articles of impeachment.

Except for one state, Nebraska, all states have a bicameral legislature made up of two chambers: a smaller upper house and a larger lower house. Together the two chambers make state laws and fulfill other governing responsibilities. (Nebraska is the lone state that has just one chamber in its legislature.) The smaller upper chamber is always called the Senate, and its members generally serve longer terms, usually four years. The larger lower chamber is most often called the House of Representatives, but some states call it the Assembly or the House of Delegates.

State judicial branches are usually led by the state supreme court, which hears appeals from lower-level state courts. Court structures and judicial appointments/elections are determined either by legislation or the state constitution. The Supreme Court focuses on correcting errors made in lower courts and therefore holds no trials. Rulings made in state supreme courts are normally binding; however, when questions are raised regarding consistency with the U.S. Constitution, matters may be appealed directly to the United States Supreme Court.

Good To Know

In 1994 Tennessee became one of the first states to allow in-person early voting. And like other states, Tennessee has seen the number of voters casting ballots before Election Day increase significantly in the years since.

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